Gentle persuasion over time

Relax in southern comfort on the east bank of the Mississippi. You're just around the corner from Beale Street and Sun Records. Watch the ducks, throw back a few and tell us what's on your mind.
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mediatechnology
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by mediatechnology »

The acorns are a mystery.
Squirrels do some odd things.
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JR.
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

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Some sections of that trunk are starting to look like swiss cheese, so Wayne's advice to use sugar to speed up deterioration seems to be working. Beer trub has sugar (malt) in it, and the insects are responding positively.

It looks like it is now leaning in a safe direction, 4 degrees toward a safe fall on my side of the property line.

Now my question is do I stick to my plan and wait for nature to take its course, or help it with my chain saw that is itching to make saw dust. I need to give it until at least until new years, which will be here soon enough.

JR
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mediatechnology
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by mediatechnology »

Beer trub has sugar (malt) in it, and the insects are responding positively.
Beer has that effect.
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JR.
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

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mediatechnology wrote: Mon Dec 09, 2019 5:23 pm
Beer trub has sugar (malt) in it, and the insects are responding positively.
Beer has that effect.
after it is fermented to beer the dextrins (sugars) get converted to ethyl alcohol..

Whatever it is working. The trub is not fermented, but I also pour the dregs after a fermentation on it, so that is mostly yeast.

JR
tree.jpg
Not a great picture (it was in the rain) but you can see the trunk deteriorating.
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terkio
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

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Do you take bets on a fall before the new year?
:D
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JR.
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

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terkio wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2019 11:34 am Do you take bets on a fall before the new year?
:D
My speculation is that it will not fall by itself before the new year even with my come along pulling on it pretty hard. I would bet that it is not standing a year from now, but I cannot guarantee that I won't fire up my chain saw in January to drop it as the lean now looks more favorable for a safe fall away from hitting the store...

The tree trunk appears even more rotten now so I would still need to be careful cutting. Maybe a severe wind storm could help it down, but tree is bare of many branches so not much of a sail to catch wind.

JR
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JR.
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

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My tilt angle measurements were not compelling but the tree really looks like it is leaning in the right direction... I figured some photos comparing the tree lean to other verticals might tell the story better.

Picture #1 is looking at the lean toward the store compared to the far corner of the store as a vertical reference.
lean1.jpg
Oddly it shows how straight the store's power pole is NOT. :lol: Not leaning toward the store is a good thing IMO.

Picture #2 shows the tree lean angle compared to another side of the store, presumably vertical.
lean2.jpg
This lean looks like more than the 2-3 degree angle I measure but is safely leaning away from the store... actually at a right angle.

JR

[edit for chuckles I took a few bites out of the lower trunk with my big axe, and that sucker is getting pretty weakened. The beer trub is working it's magic to energize the wood eating insects. I feel like I could drop the tree without much effort using just that axe, but now I am nervous about it dropping limbs from 50' high on my head. With the chain saw I can be more surgical, and not shake things as much.

Still sticking to my plan to give it until new years to fall by itself, but I am itching to see it down and move on to another project. /edit]
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JR.
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

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My dead tree is still standing, but looking more eroded around the base from my weekly application of beer making trub.

Yesterday I tightened the come along 4 clicks.... Since new years has come and gone, I guess it is time for less gentle persuasion. Raining today but maybe if it dries/warms up some this weekend. We are still under a flash flood warning today, but should dry up some this weekend.

Eyeballing it looks like the center of mass should move it away from the store next door. I will leave the come along tension line in place, and cut very slowly. I can tell from probing around that the trunk is not completely solid, so I do not expect a neat drop.

JR
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terkio
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by terkio »

The Aussie way for trees near a house.
They set a rope from a hight main branch going through a shackle at a loop around the base of another tree to a strong vehicle ready for pulling.
To get high up to the top of the tree they use a string with a small bag full of lead pieces, they throw up to the tree, that is quite accurate with the string coiled right in a pail.
Before cutting they set the rope under tension.
They slowly cut, up to the point the tree is going to fall, then after everybody is safe, they finish by pulling hard on the rope
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JR.
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

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terkio wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 2:32 pm The Aussie way for trees near a house.
They set a rope from a hight main branch going through a shackle at a loop around the base of another tree to a strong vehicle ready for pulling.
To get high up to the top of the tree they use a string with a small bag full of lead pieces, they throw up to the tree, that is quite accurate with the string coiled right in a pail.
Before cutting they set the rope under tension.
They slowly cut, up to the point the tree is going to fall, then after everybody is safe, they finish by pulling hard on the rope
I like that and watched the real tree guys working in my yard last year but they had a bucket truck to set lines.

My dead tree, doesn't have any low branches. I suspect because it grew in among so many other trees that it didn't invest in leaves/branches down low until up higher than the other trees... Being taller was not a good thing when it comes to lightning. :lol:

Long story shorter I do not feel lucky about getting a tie line set up high... that said I am optimistic about it coming down without much extra drama. I fear I made a bigger deal about this than it deserves. We'll find out soon enough.

JR
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